Technology in Natural Resources

The Oregon State University Division of Extension and Engagement is seeking a Technology in Natural Resources Specialist. This is a full-time (1.00 FTE), 12-month, professional faculty position.

This Information and Technology (IT) professional position is with the Division of Extension and Engagement’s (division) Extension Computing and Technology Unit.  This dynamic and innovative Technology in Natural Resources Specialist will span boundaries to lead Extension Service efforts at the intersection of technology and natural resources for forest landowners and farmers across Oregon, and is a joint effort between the College of Agricultural Sciences’ Extension Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Program and the College of Forestry’s Extension Forestry & Natural Resources Program at Oregon State University. 

This Technology in Natural Resources Specialist will be supervised by the Extension Agricultural Sciences & Natural Resources Program Leader. Decisions regarding this position are made collaboratively with the supervision team which includes the Executive Director for Digital Extension & Inclusion and the Extension Forestry & Natural Resources Program Leader.

This position will focus on harnessing the potential of natural resources technologies including Artificial Intelligence (AI) to enhance sustainability, resilience, and productivity in the natural resources arena. This Specialist will work with IT leaders of each respective college and Extension to help synthesize the application of these technologies in a way that other Extension academic and professional faculty can integrate in their daily program offerings to the stakeholders in Oregon.

This Specialist will teach, collaborate with Extension academic and professional faculty, stakeholders, and disseminate findings to advance industries reliant on agriculture and forestry; and will focus on any of a broad range of topics associated with the use of emerging technologies, including AI, to promote sustainable natural resource management.

This Specialist is responsible for designing, developing, maintaining and/or carrying out educational programming and outreach activities to serve broad and diverse populations in an accessible, inclusive, equitable, and socially just manner. This includes complying with Civil Rights and Language/Visual Access regulations.

About the division:
The Division of Extension and Engagement (division) is core to Oregon State University’s mission. The division helps create real solutions and positive impact across Oregon and beyond. The division is aligned under the leadership of the Vice Provost for Extension and Engagement. To learn more about our division and its core units and initiatives, please visit: https://engagement.oregonstate.edu/.

The division has built the capacity and expectation for employees to use digital communications and technologies in the modern-day workplace. This reflects our demonstrable commitment to using digital communications tools and changing technologies as a primary way to raise Oregonian’s awareness of and engagement with our organization, programs and resources.

Oregon State University strives to ensure that all educational programs, services, activities, and materials we offer to the public are identified, developed, delivered, and evaluated in an accessible, inclusive, equitable, and socially just manner. OSU division’s educational programs, services, activities, and materials are available to all people. OSU division prohibits discrimination in all its programs, services, activities, and materials. All employees are responsible for and expected to comply with Civil Rights obligations and actively work to expand access to all eligible populations.

Position Duties:

90% – Technology Engagement

Extension Teaching:

• Discover, co-develop, and engage with internal audiences and external stakeholders, including OSU Extension employees, landowners, producers, growers, and woodland owners, in the application of 21st-century technology optimization, providing reasonable accommodations as needed.
• Co-develop and deliver non-credit educational programs (primarily to OSU Extension employees), workshops, and training sessions with an emphasis to enhancing and growing 21st-century technology utilization.
• Utilize innovative teaching methods to engage with multiple audiences, helping to translate emerging technologies to encourage adoption by end users. Ensure that the technologies are accessible and/or develop accessible platforms that would reach a wider audience of natural resources practitioners.
• Provide the necessary technical assistance and guidance to employees to translate technology to industry and private practitioners.
• Seek technologies that help to achieve the OSU Strategic Plan (Prosperity Widely Shared) for multiple audiences, focusing on external engagement and outreach.

Partnerships, Collaboration, and Engagement:

• Collaborate with other OSU colleges (e.g., colleges of Science and Engineering) to strengthen Extension-based technologies that translate to field conditions on natural resources.
• Engage with community members, Extension academic and professional faculty, and industry leaders to identify needs and opportunities for technology applications in agriculture, forestry, and other natural resources.
• Serve as a liaison between OSU and industry technology partners to identify platforms that facilitate knowledge exchange and resource sharing.
• In partnership with OSU Extension Service, College of Agricultural Sciences and College of Forestry Information and Technology (IT) teams coordinate and lead an Extension Artificial Intelligence (AI) natural resources advisory group with a broad and diverse client base that includes internal and external partners. AI technology use and transfer is a core component of this position.
• Collaborate with OSU employees, students, and industry partners to test appropriate technologies in the field and share results with Extension academic and professional faculty.
• Contribute to the development of educational materials, outreach publications, and digital resources to disseminate knowledge to broad and diverse natural resources audiences.
• Follow OSU and division brand guidelines, digital publishing standards and digital contact management data integrity practices for programmatic communications, marketing and engagement.
• Attend training opportunities to build basic knowledge and consistent skills to use digital communications, marketing and engagement technologies relevant to position duties.
• In collaboration with other partners as needed, develop and host an annual natural resources technology conference or meeting to showcase current technologies applicable to stakeholders.
• Travel/driving will be required.

10% – Accountability and Reporting

• Establish metrics and evaluation criteria to assess the impact of technology on natural resources educational programs and initiatives and share that with Extension employees.
• Prepare and submit timely reports that highlight program outcomes, successes, and areas for improvement.
• Contribute actively to Extension and the colleges’ assessment and strategic planning efforts around technology.
• Complete the division’s civil rights training(s).
• Report appropriate civil rights data from educational programming and outreach activities into the division’s reporting system for the internal civil rights review.

What You Must Have:

• Bachelor’s degree in a natural resources or biological engineering field with a minimum of two (2) years of demonstrated  experience providing significant technology related services including: teaching, support, design, or educational program delivery; OR a bachelor’s degree in computer science or a technology related field with a minimum of two (2) years of demonstrated experience providing significant technology related services including: teaching, support, design, or educational program delivery in natural resources work.
• Demonstrated expertise in the application of emerging technologies (some possible examples: broadband, VR/AR, wearable technologies, robotics, drones, precision ag, web/mobile apps, AI, etc.) in natural resource management.
• Record of delivering non-formal (non-credit) educational programs to broad and diverse audiences, or transferable skills demonstrating potential to deliver such programming.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills, enabling communication of highly complex, unfamiliar concepts to broad and diverse audiences.
• A commitment to collaborative and respectful learning and working environments that are safe, inclusive, and welcoming.

This position is designated as a critical or security-sensitive position; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a criminal history check and be determined to be position qualified as per University Standard: 05-010 et seq. Incumbents are required to self-report convictions and those in youth programs may have additional criminal history checks every 24 months.

This position requires driving a university vehicle or a personal vehicle on behalf of the university; therefore, the incumbent must successfully complete a motor vehicle history check, possess and maintain a current, valid driver’s license in their state of residence, be determined to be position qualified and self-report convictions as per University Policy 05-030.

What We Would Like You To Have:

• Certificate or certification of experience with generative artificial intelligence, machine learning, or related areas of emerging technology.
• Experience in outreach, teaching and stakeholder engagement.
• Bilingual/biliterate (English/Spanish)
• Ability to serve constituents from different backgrounds and with different life experiences, particularly members of under-represented communities.

See full posting and apply at https://jobs.oregonstate.edu/postings/166553

Application Deadline: April 4, 2025